I have read (somewhere)that the first "known" settlement in what is
now the United States of America, was the "dumping" of a cargo of
slaves bound for Cuba in an area close-by, near, or in Chesapeake Bay
by a Portuguese(?)ship captain fearful of an incoming hurricane. Could
someone verify this and/or give me the information required for
researching this on the internet? I have spent a great deal of time to
date attempting this, all to no avail. Thank you (whomever you are).

Hi,

Here's what I found: officially, the oldest settlement on today's USA
territory is St. Augustine.

The settlement was established in the Spring of 1513 by Ponce De Leon
who named the land "La Florida". The settlement was initially ruled by
Spain and in 1565 it became a fort.

More information by following these links:

"Saint Augustine (city)," Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2002
http://encarta.msn.com/find/Concise.asp?z=1&pg=2&ti=761575377

Oldcity.com - History and culture:
http://www.oldcity.com/his2.html

AmericasTravelNetwork.com - Discover America's secret treasure... St.
Augustine:
http://www.accessamer.com/staugustine/Features.html

Ponce De Leon - Saint Augustine History - Abbreviated:
http://www.theponce.com/StAugustineFlorida/SaintAugustineHistory.htm

LifeWayOnline - St. Augustine, America's Oldest City - by Amy Eckert:
http://www.lifewayonline.com/travel/index.cfm?fuseaction=read&articleid=94


Google search terms:
st augustine
st augustine town
st augustine settlement
st augustine city

I hope this helps.

Regards,

ldcdc-ga

---

Request for Answer Clarification by thurmanwilson-ga on 10 May 2002 22:48 PDT

I believe you missed the point of this question: it is NOT asking for
the recognized encylopedic US settlement, but rather an obscure
"factoid" that states the "abandonment" of a cargo of slaves near the
Potomac River estuary...long before the establishment of St.
Augustine. I cannot honor your rsponse.

---

Clarification of Answer by ldcdc-ga on 11 May 2002 08:41 PDT

I'm really sorry this unfortunate incident happened. The worst part is
that I wasn't able to find the real answer to your question. This is
not a good thing for you, and not a good thing for me either. Ask for
the refund that you deserve. I've been a bad researcher. Again I'm
sorry.

I hope at least adiloren-ga will find your answer.

ldcdc-ga

I agree that this is not an answer to your question. However, I do
believe that this "settlement" that you mention could not have been
earlier than St. Augustine's founding in 1513 because the
transatlantic slave trade didn't begin untill the early 1520's. I am
intrigued by your question though and will research it. It may have
been the first "settlement" in what was the United States prior to the
addition of Florida as a state. Google hasn't processed my researcher
ID yet, so I will just research this out of interest. Good question.

sorry - i made a mistake - i meant to write that slave trade to cuba
didn't begin untill the early 1520's - there was some minimal
transatlantic slave trade around 1509

Hi there,
    Just reading the question, I noticed one small disparity:  the
first settlements in the US came long before the sixteenth century. 
The new continents first reached in 1492 were by no means uninhabited
-- perhaps around four million people were living in what would be
come the United States around 1500, AD.  Current research suggests
that humans first crossed the Bering Strait from Asia to North America
around 12,000 BC or earlier.  Europeans (like Norse explorer Leif
Ericson) made sea voyages to the unknown land around 1000, AD, but
it's doubtful as to whether any of them stayed at all.  So, as an
answer to the question, the Hopi Natives definitely lived in what is
now the Soutwest United States in permanant adobe settlements, farming
squash, beans, and other subsistence crops.  This culture definitely
existed before any post-Middle-Age European contact.  I'm sure there
are other, older native settlements that existed, but there's no
reason for me to find out about them.  Get a history book.
Nick Stein
(P.S.  If you're looking for an excellent textbook, check out American
History: A Survey, by Alan Brinkley.)

Good Day, ThurmanWilson-ga.

St. Augustine is my favorite vacation spot.  I have often wandered
about the old massive Spanish fort there which was constructed of
local material that gave it unrealized strength against bombardment.
The walls  would actually absorb the cannon and its energy without
totally disintegrating the area.

Although the first permanent settlement in the present United States
is acknowledged as St. Augustine,Florida which was established about
11 days after Menendez landed in the area(August 28,1565), my research
indicates that there is much to be discovered about other settlements.
 The "dumping" incident that you mentioned is probably correct, but
the data on that historical event requires deeper digging which would
probably lead us to the library system.
On the Internet, I did discover that  settlements or colonies did,
indeed, pre-date the St. Augustine site.  In fact, the French
succeeded in establishing a fort and colony on the St. Johns River in
1564 before St. Augustine's was founded.Unfortunately for the French,
Admiral Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles was authorized by King Philip II
of Spain to drive out any settlers from other nations. Menendez
destroyed the French colony  on the St. Johns River and, with the help
of a hurricane, also defeated the French fleet
 St. Augustine was founded forty-two years before the English colony
at Jamestown, Virginia, and fifty-five years before the Pilgrims
landed on Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts - making it the oldest
permanent European settlement on the North American continent, but NOT
the oldest known settlement.

http://www.ragz-international.com/united_states_of_america.htm

Beginning in 1519, Spain, Portugal, France, The Netherlands, and
England established colonies in the Americas.  Spain made a great
mining and agricultural empire in Mexico, South America, and the
Caribbean. Portugal created a slave-based agricultural colony in
Brazil(and this may be the destination of the errant slave ship you
read about). In North America the French and Dutch established
rudimentary European societies and—more importantly—elaborate,
long-term trading networks with the indigenous peoples.

After the conquests, Catholic missionaries—Jesuits until 1571,
Franciscans and Dominicans after that—attempted to convert Native
Americans to Christianity. They established missions not only at the
centers of the new empire, but also in New Mexico and Florida. Spanish
Jesuits even built a short–lived mission outpost in Virginia.

http://www.ragz-international.com/united_states_of_america.htm

I have reviewed  approximately 80  historical websites generated by
queries on www.google.com and www.wisenut.com .  Although they contain
fascinating accounts of the development of the New World, I find that
they do not have the unique historical accounts that come from a
careful seach through library files.  Those musty halls are probably
where the ultimate answers to your question will be found.

Enjoy the Search Adventure!
Brad-ga

Good Day Again, ThurmanWilson-ga

Intrigued by your question; 1526 a.d. appears to be the answer you are
seeking. I continued the search and found your answer as follows:

1492 The New World- Black are among the first explorers to the New
World. Pedro Alonzo Nino, identified be some scholars as a black,
arrives with Columbus; other blacks accompany Balboa, Ponce de Leon,
Pizarro, and Menendez on their travels and explorations.
1501 Spain- The Spanish throne officially approves the use of black
slaves in the New World.
1502 Latin America- Portugal lands its first slave cargo in the
Western Hemisphere.
1513 Latin America- Spain authorizes us of black slaves in Cuba.
Thirty blacks accompany Balboa when he discovers the Pacific Ocean.

1526 South Carolina- The first group of blacks to set foot on what is
now United States are brought by a Spanish explorer to South Carolina
to erect a settlement. However, they soon flee to the interior and
settle with the native Americans.
1538 Arizona; New Mexico Estevanico, a black explorer, leads an
expedition from Mexico into the territory of the American Southwest
and is credited with the discovery of what is now Arizona and New
Mexico.
    http://www.triadntr.net/~rdavis/chrono.htm

You will notice that the Portuguese ships started bringing slaves to
the New World in 1532 which is a few years after the South Carolina
settlement.  The article you read remains a likely event which would
have occurred after 1531 on Portuguese ships.
The Portuguese were bringing manufactured goods from Europe, trading
them for slaves, and in 1532 they began shipping slaves to Brazil.
Africans had an immunity to tropical diseases that served them well in
Brazil and they were believed to be able workers in mining and
tropical agriculture. A circular trade was established, the Portuguese
taking metal manufactured goods to Africa, trading these goods for
slaves, shipping slaves to America and transporting from Brazil
whatever they thought they could sell in Portugal.

 http://www.fsmitha.com/h3/h17-emp.html

An additional website of interest which does not contribute to a
solution of your question, but is very educational follows:

Slavery 1538 Africans and Spaniards establish settlements from
what is present-day Florida to California, and as 
far north as present-day Kansas.
http://www.blackfacts.com/fact.asp?ID=2890


Best,
Brad-ga

I like cheeseburgers!

For rich detail pertinent to these topics, refer to the full text
on-line version of "Boldly Onward" by Lindsey Williams.
http://www.lindseywilliams.org/ Click on the "Search Lin's Website"
option to search for keywords such as "slave" and "conquistador" or
"adelantados."  Lin has been writing about Florida history for many
years now.

Enjoy!